Return of the Sith
by czarina
Summary: Takes place after TRS. The worlds recover from the final battle. As old characters move on with their lives old nemesis return, but the battlefields have changed. But do hearts as well? *** Spoilers for TRS
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

The cavernous space was filled with screams. On the gurney back arched with veins bulging out was the form of a man. Four small robed figures worked around him hooking him to machines to provide the nutrients needed to sustain life. On a pedestal nearby a bent figure sat on a worn throne. A hideous voice came from the depths of the chair.

"Does he live or die"

"Took Took" one of the cloaked voices said not stopping as they placed an oxygen mask on the prone figure who finally laid still.

"What assurances do I have that this time all that I've planned does not get destroyed by his treason?

One of the four robed figures turned this time and addressed the throne shrouded in the shadows directly.

"We only recovered the dark side of the force. His force has been split as has yours. It may be in his nature to be treasonous but this time his life is tied with yours. As one lives so too shall the other and as one dies so too shall the other."

Chapter 1 - Six Years After the Fall of the First Order

The glorious city of Naboo prospered once again. The Clone Wars were long over but the remnants of that long ago battle still scarred the city. The beautiful buildings were covered with the marks of canon fire and blaster fire.

The irony wasn't lost on Rey as she walked the streets of the still glorious city. This was the home world of Chancellor Palpatine, her grandfather. Although she renounced her heritage publicly it was still a battle she waged occasionally. She'd waken more than once from dreams of herself seated on a blood red throne as Supreme Leader of the First Order although all of that has already long passed.

The narrow streets opened before her into the main thoroughfare of the city. She passed by the gates of the palace walls with a brief nod to the guards stationed there. The city and its people were on the mend and so was the Republic. Laws had to be reestablished and treaties rewritten. She did not envy Poe or Finn their roles as they remained in the Senate to rebuild the faith of the worlds. Her role wasn't so different after the war. She was "the Jedi Skywalker" now. Her role was to awaken hope and rebuild the Jedi order with the city of Naboo as it's headquarters.

Children were tested in their primary years in school and those with rare gifts that the teachers saw were volunteered to be sent to a separate school in the area where their talents could be expanded upon. Rey visited each Talent school annually to observe the teachings and monitor the schools progress. Her other agenda was to identify candidates for the new Jedi Order.

Most of her year she spent on Naboo teaching and training the new class of Jedi. Finn had asked her to give it up. Stay with them and recreate the Republic but break it of the mistakes they've made in the past, but she didn't want to fight anymore. Politics was just a battle every day. She wanted to give children what was given to her by Leia and Luke. Finn had also been against the Jedi school idea.

"Rey, it doesn't make sense to separate these kids out to train them when they can turn out like Darth Vader and Kylo Ren." Rey had looked sharply at Finn at the mention of Kylo's name. She'd told them all that in the end Ben Solo had saved her with his life force, but it didn't redeem him of all his sins. But something had changed within her as she'd given a piece of herself to him in their last moments together. She of course hadn't known that it was their last moments. She'd just awaken to Ben holding her and finally the feel of his ungloved hands as they held her so close. She stopped her mind from wondering down the same familiar paths.

"What do you think will happen to them if we don't train them? They will be more susceptible to the dark side of the force with no protection. We have a chance to teach them what is right and wrong." Their exchange had ended heatedly as it so often did since the end of the First Order. Their experiences had changed them and although they started out on the journey together they hadn't grown closer as the battle ended. Her compassion for Kylo had hurt Finn and Poe and to some degree they were happy that she was staying in the outer rim. They didn't have to watch her mourn the monster that passed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

He gripped the light saber tightly and smashed through another training droid. He wore a vizer over his head so he couldn't see as he dropped the saber and ran across a plank bridge using force alone. He felt at peace almost in a meditative state. Never had he felt this way. His emotions had been a riot of thoughts before they brought him back. He retained all of his past memories after the resurrection, but they played more as images from a movie he'd seen long ago rather than experiences that is until his decisions at the end. He felt anger bubble up at the mear thought of those final moments first on himself for letting the Jedi stab him through with her light saber on the remnants of the Death Star and giving up on his power in his weakness. He'd died. No, Ben Solo died. He lived. He summoned the light saber into his hands as he jumped over another boulder to slam down the droid in the clearing.

Snoke watched through the holo as his young apprentice ran through the training course again. "Oh to be young again" he thought as he sat back in his seat. Another holo started to reform before him as his reverie was interrupted by that of the Senator Gavin Veruna of Naboo. Snoke suffered the rebels slight as Veruna neither bowed nor nodded his acknowledgement of his unceremonious interruption of Snoke. That's how far he'd fallen that the likes of Veruna had the audacity to not bend at the waist before him.

"Senator how good to see you. What can we do for you today?" He asked courteously.

Veruna grinded his teeth. He hated to see the hideousness of Snoke but his dreams of a respected seat of power couldn't be doused. That was why he was making a pact with the devil. He was the senator of Naboo a world ruled by a Queen. His power extended only to that which she gave her permission. He was but her figurehead. The rebels had been fighting for freedom but politics on Naboo had seen little change from before the rise of the First Order. Certainly, he had more power than when the First Order occupied his world with their might but now he could finally harness that power for himself. He had no force power as these Jedis but he'd seen the power of Snoke and for him to be reduced so low gave Veruna an opportunity to influence Snoke to do his bidding. So far the man had been quite amenable. He'd started building his army already. The knowledge of the Sith encompassed the once great clone army. He'd seen the beginning of the army for himself. The resistance had one the final battle in Exegol and had quickly left the destabilized territory. Even before combing through all the debris to find the hidden underground manufacturing complex. Six years and still no discovery and now the manufacturing complex was building again.

"Snoke, what is the status of the army. I ask only for enough to take control of Naboo."

"Senator, we already have enough to accomplish that. But did you give any thought to what the New Alliance will do when they hear of what you've done? Disposing a Queen of Naboo will not be so simple. You will need to be prepared to face the power of the New Alliance and that of the newly training Jedi Apprentices."

He had not considered that the Jedi or the New Alliance would rise against him. He was after all on their side overthrowing a dictatorship. Perhaps Snoke was right to be cautious. He'd spend the money to be a little safer. What was another few months to the years that he'd already waited.

"I'm assuming you will need more ore and chemicals from the mines of Crait?"

"That goes without saying Senator. We need that to build your army. There is one more thing that's needed to keep you safe and to help you exert your control in Naboo. Let me introduce you to my protegee, Kye Lorso. I wish for him to be introduced as your advisor on Naboo and especially for him to be introduced to court."

A younger man stepped towards the holo as the Senator from Naboo had his first look at him.

"It can't be."

"No, Senator, I grant you the resemblance is uncanny but this is his twin. They are genetic after all in the Skywalker bloodline."

"This cannot be, General Organa only had one child who died as the Supreme Leader of the Final Order."

"That she is aware of but you see at birth a clone was created from the cells of the umbilical cord that was tossed away. So he is Kylo Ren's brother or rather Kylo Ren himself. Rest assured senator he's been brought up with the utmost care and does not suffer the foolishness of Ben Solo."

Veruna sputtered. He couldn't take this man to Naboo.

"They will kill us both on site."

"Senator, Kye Lorso can explain himself quite well. If the Jedi is there she will know that he is not Ben Solo. Please have faith my friend Kye will be able to help you gain a stronger foothold in the palace. Maybe influence the Queen."


End file.
